Injection member, injection device

Abstract

The objective is to improve the injection member so that it is possible to select which of the two injection holes to inject from. [Solution] The device comprises a mounting part 23a attached to a spray container 2 filled with contents, a first spray hole 13b for spraying the contents, a second spray hole 14a different from the first spray hole 13b for spraying the contents, a first spray passage R1 from the mounting part 23a to the first spray hole 13b, a second spray passage R2 from the mounting part 23a to the second spray hole 14a, a first operating part 13a that is operated to spray the contents from the first spray hole 13b, and a second operating part 14 that is operated to spray the contents from the second spray hole 14a. When the first operating part 13a is operated, the first spray passage R1 is open and the second spray passage R2 is closed. When the second operating part 14 is operated, the first spray passage R1 becomes closed and the second spray passage R2 becomes open.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an injection member attached to an injection container such as an aerosol container or a pump container, and an injection device in which the injection device is attached to the injection container.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an aerosol product that can be switched by a switching mechanism whether to discharge from a spray nozzle or a dropping nozzle. Since this aerosol product has one push button, in both cases of discharging from either nozzle, the push button has to be pushed, and there is a risk of accidentally discharging from the unintended nozzle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to improve an injection member capable of selecting from which of two injection holes to inject.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The injection member of the present invention comprises a mounting portion 23a attached to an injection container 2 filled with contents, a first injection hole 13b for injecting the contents, a second injection hole 14a different from the first injection hole 13b for injecting the contents, a first injection passage R1 from the mounting portion 23a to the first injection hole 13b, a second injection passage R2 from the mounting portion 23a to the second injection hole 14a, a first operating portion 13a that is operated to inject the contents from the first injection hole 13b, and a second operating portion 14 that is operated to inject the contents from the second injection hole 14a. The invention is characterized in that when the first operating portion 13a is operated, the first injection passage R1 is in an open state and the second injection passage R2 is in a closed state, and when the second operating portion 14 is operated, the first injection passage R1 becomes closed and the second injection passage R2 becomes open.

[0006] Preferably, the injection member includes a maintenance mechanism K that maintains the closed state of the second injection passage R2 when the second operating unit 14 is not being used for injection.

[0007] It is preferable to have a closing member (piston 21, valve stem 27) that closes the first injection passage R1 in conjunction with the injection operation of the second operating unit 14.

[0008] The injection device of the present invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned injection members 10 and 10A are attached to the injection container 2. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the present invention, when the first operating unit is being operated, the first injection passage is open and the second injection passage is closed, and when the second operating unit is operated, the first injection passage becomes closed and the second injection passage becomes open, thereby suppressing injection from unintended sides. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of an injection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view showing the state of injection from the first injection port, and Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view showing the state of injection from the second injection port. [Figure 3] These are cross-sectional views of other injection members, with Figure 3A showing the state of injection from the first injection hole and Figure 3B showing the state of injection from the second injection hole. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Next, an injection device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the injection device 1 comprises an injection container 2 filled with contents and an injection member 10 attached to the injection container 2.

[0012] The spray container 2 is, for example, an aerosol container, and comprises a bottle-shaped container body 3 and an aerosol valve 4 attached to the opening of the container body 3. The aerosol valve 4 comprises a bottomed cylindrical aerosol stem 4a having a stem hole on its side, a valve housing 4b that houses the aerosol stem 4a so that it can move up and down, an elastic body 4c that constantly biases the aerosol stem 4a upward, and a stem rubber 4d that closes the stem hole before the aerosol stem 4a is pushed down or tilted, and deforms to open the stem hole when the aerosol stem 4a is pushed down or tilted. The contents consist of a concentrate C and a propellant (gas) P for discharging the concentrate C from the aerosol stem 4a. Therefore, the spray container 2 has pressure resistance that can withstand the pressure of the propellant P.

[0013] As shown in Figure 2A, the injection member 10 includes a mounting portion 23a attached to the injection container 2, a first injection hole 13b for injecting the contents, a second injection hole 14a different from the first injection hole 13b for injecting the contents, a first injection passage R1 from the mounting portion 23a to the first injection hole 13b, a second injection passage R2 from the mounting portion 23a to the second injection hole 14a (see Figure 2B), a first operating portion 13a that is operated to inject the contents from the first injection hole 13b, and a second operating portion 14 that is operated to inject the contents from the second injection hole 14a.

[0014] Both the first operating section 13a and the second operating section 14 can be used to open the aerosol valve 4 and dispense the contents from the aerosol stem 4a by performing a spray operation (pressing down operation). If neither the first operating section 13a nor the second operating section 14 is used for spraying, the aerosol valve 4 will not open and the contents will not be dispensed (see Figure 1).

[0015] The discharged contents flow from the mounting portion 23a attached to the aerosol stem 4a into the housing 23, which constitutes part of the first injection passage R1 and part of the second injection passage R2. However, when the first operating portion 13a is being used for spraying, the first injection passage R1 is open and the second injection passage R2 is closed, and when the second operating portion 14 is used for spraying, the first injection passage R1 becomes closed and the second injection passage R2 becomes open. Therefore, when the first operating portion 13a is used for spraying, the contents are sprayed from the first injection hole 13b but not from the second injection hole 14a, and when the second operating portion 14 is used for spraying, the contents are sprayed from the second injection hole 14a but not from the first injection hole 13b.

[0016] This mechanism consists of a maintenance mechanism K that maintains the closed state of the second injection passage R2 when the second operating unit 14 is not being used for injection, and a closing member that closes the first injection passage R1 in conjunction with the injection operation of the second operating unit 14.

[0017] The maintenance mechanism K includes an operating stem 17 that is pushed down by the injection operation of the second operating section 14, a ring-shaped piston 21 that is mounted on the outer circumference of the operating stem 17 so as to be vertically movable and forms a gap passage between itself and the operating stem 17 that becomes part of the second injection passage R2, and a biasing means 22 for pressing the operating stem 17 against the piston 21 from below.

[0018] When the piston 21 is not pushed down by the operating stem 17, its upward movement is restricted. The operating stem 17, which is biased upward by the biasing means 22, abuts against the piston 21 from below, forming a seal between the operating stem 17 and the piston 21 and blocking the gap passage. As a result, the closed state of the second injection passage R2 is maintained unless the operating stem 17 is pushed down. The first operating portion 13a can push down the aerosol stem 4a without being involved in the vertical movement of the operating stem 17. Therefore, if the first operating portion 13a is operated for injection in this state, the content is not ejected from the second injection hole 14a but only from the first injection hole 13b (see Fig. 2A).

[0019] The closed state of the second injection passage R2 by this maintaining mechanism K is released by pushing down the operating stem 17 (operating the second operating portion 14 for injection). Specifically, when the operating stem 17 is pushed down, the seal between the operating stem 17 and the piston 21 is released, creating a vertical gap S (the gap passage communicates), and the second injection passage R2 becomes open (see Fig. 2B).

[0020] Incidentally, the piston 21 also functions as a closing member. That is, when the operating stem 17 is pushed down to a certain extent, the piston 21 is pushed by the operating stem 17 and moves downward. However, the communication hole 23b that forms part of the first injection passage R1 is open at the moved position, and when the piston 21 closes this communication hole 23b, the first injection passage R1 becomes closed. Therefore, if the content is discharged from the aerosol stem 4a in this state, it is not ejected from the first injection hole 13b but only from the second injection hole 14a (see Fig. 2B). To discharge the content from the aerosol stem 4a, the second operating portion 14 attached to the upper end of the operating stem 17 may be pushed down. That is, the opening of the aerosol valve 4, the closing of the first injection passage R1, and the opening of the second injection passage R2 can be achieved by one operation of operating the second operating portion 14 for injection. It is preferable to prevent the aerosol valve 4 from being opened until the first injection passage R1 becomes closed.

[0021] The detailed configuration of the valve assembly 15 including the operating stem 17, the piston 21, and the biasing means 22 is as follows.

[0022] First, regarding the operating stem 17, as shown in FIG. 2A, the operating stem 17 is divided into an upper stem 18 and a lower stem 19.

[0023] The upper stem 18 is generally substantially cylindrical as a whole, and includes a cylindrical portion 18a extending in the vertical direction, an externally fitted portion 18b provided at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 18a, and a skirt portion 18c extending from the lower end of the externally fitted portion 18b. A head member is attached to the upper end of the cylindrical portion 18a as the second operating portion 14. The upper surface of the second operating portion 14 is substantially flat and is adapted to be pressed against the injection target. The second injection hole 14a opens at the center of the second operating portion 14, and the content is injected upward.

[0024] The lower stem 19 includes a shaft portion 19a inserted into the externally fitted portion 18b of the upper stem 18, and a projecting portion 19b that projects radially outward from the outer periphery of the shaft portion 19a and has a tip directed upward. A passage for passing the content is not provided inside the lower stem 19, and the content flows into the upper stem 18 through the space between the outer peripheral surface of the lower stem 19 and the inner peripheral surface of the piston 21. In order to secure a passage for the content, a concave groove 20 extending in the vertical direction is provided on the inner surface of the externally fitted portion 18b of the upper stem 18 and / or the outer surface of the shaft portion 19a of the lower stem 19. The content flowing through the concave groove 20 flows into the second operating portion 14 through the cylindrical portion 18a of the upper stem 18 and is injected to the outside through the second injection hole 14a.

[0025] The piston 21 follows the downward movement of the operating stem 17 with some play. In other words, the piston 21 is able to move vertically between the skirt portion 18c and the protruding portion 19b. The piston 21 comprises an inner cylindrical portion 21a, an outer cylindrical portion 21b provided on the outside of the inner cylindrical portion 21a, and a connecting portion 21c that connects the inner cylindrical portion 21a and the outer cylindrical portion 21b. The upper part of the inner cylindrical portion 21a abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the skirt portion 18c to form a seal. The lower part of the inner cylindrical portion 21a and / or the lower surface of the connecting portion 21c form a seal between the protruding portion 19b, which is biased by the biasing means 22, when the operating stem 17 is not pushed down, closing the second injection passage R2. When the operating stem 17 is pushed down, the seal is released, and a gap S is formed between the piston and the protruding portion 19b. The outer cylindrical portion 21b closes the communication hole 23b when the piston 21 is pushed down, thereby closing the first injection passage R1.

[0026] As for the material of the piston 21, synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polyolefins such as polypropylene, polyamides such as nylon, polyesters such as polyethylene terephthalate, silicone resins, and elastomers are preferred because they make it easier to obtain a sliding seal.

[0027] The biasing means 22 is a compression coil spring. The upper end of the biasing means 22 abuts against the lower surface of the protruding portion 19b of the lower stem 19, constantly biasing the lower stem 19 upward. This biasing means 22 also plays a role in pushing down the second operating part 14, the operating stem 17, and the piston 21 back to their original positions. When the operating stem 17 and the piston 21 return to their original positions, the first injection passage R1 becomes open again and the second injection passage becomes closed.

[0028] The valve member 16, which comprises an operating stem 17, a piston 21, and a biasing means 22, is housed in a substantially cylindrical housing 23. A cover member 24 is attached to the upper part of the housing 23 to hold the valve member 16 inside the housing 23. The cover member 24 has an opening in the center, and the upper part of the operating stem 17 protrudes upward from this opening. A communication hole 23b is provided on the side of the housing 23. Specifically, the communication hole 23b is located below the piston 21 when the second operating part 14 is not being sprayed, and overlaps with the piston 21 when it moves downward by spraying the second operating part 14. The lower end of the housing 23 is a mounting part 23a that is attached to the aerosol stem 4a. Therefore, by pushing down the housing 23, the aerosol stem 4a can be pushed down or tilted, and the aerosol valve 4 can be opened.

[0029] The first operating section 13a extends horizontally from the nozzle member 13 that houses and holds the housing 23. When this first operating section 13a is pressed down, the housing 23 is pressed down together with the nozzle member 13, and the aerosol valve 4 is opened. The nozzle member 13 has a first spray hole 13b that opens laterally, and the contents that pass through the communication hole 23b are sprayed out to the outside from the first spray hole 13b (Figure 2A: Nozzle spray).

[0030] The second operating section 14 pushes down the housing 23 via the operating stem 17, the piston 21, and optionally the biasing means 22. Basically, the housing 23 is only pushed down when the lower end of the outer cylindrical portion 21b of the piston 21 reaches near the stepped portion 23c of the housing 23. Since the stepped portion 23c is located below the communication hole 23b, when the piston 21 has been pushed down to this state, the outer cylindrical portion 21b of the piston 21 blocks the communication hole 23b, and the contents are not ejected from the first injection hole 13b but are ejected to the outside from the second injection hole 14a (Figure 2B: Head injection).

[0031] A roughly cylindrical cover member 11 is provided on the outer circumference of the nozzle member 13. The nozzle member 13 is connected to the cover member 11 via a hinge 12, and can rotate or move up and down via the hinge 12. The cover member 11 is fitted onto the upper part of the spraying container 2.

[0032] Figure 3 shows another injection member 10A. In this injection member 10A as well, when the first operating unit 13a is being operated, the first injection passage R1 is open and the second injection passage R2 is closed. When the second operating unit 14 is being operated, the first injection passage R1 becomes closed and the second injection passage R2 becomes open. Therefore, when the first operating unit 13a is operated, the product is injected from the first injection hole 13b but not from the second injection hole 14a. When the second operating unit 14 is operated, the product is injected from the second injection hole 14a but not from the first injection hole 13b.

[0033] The maintenance mechanism K, which maintains the closed state of the second injection passage R2 when the second operating section 14 is not being used for injection, is provided upstream of the second injection hole 14a and consists of a check valve 25 that restricts the flow of contents downstream. The check valve 25 is, for example, a duckbill type check valve. The check valve 25 is housed within the nozzle member 13 and fixed to the nozzle member 13 by a fixing member 26. Between the fixing member 26 and the second operating section 14, an elastic body (spring) 28 is provided to return the second operating section 14 to its original position before being pushed down.

[0034] The check valve 25 is opened by a valve stem 27 attached to the second operating unit 14. Specifically, the lower end of the valve stem 27 is located above the check valve 25, and when the second operating unit 14 is operated for injection, the valve stem 27 pushes open the check valve 25, opening the second injection passage R2. In other words, the closed state of the second injection passage R2 caused by the maintenance mechanism K is released.

[0035] The valve stem 27 moves in conjunction with the spray operation of the second operating unit 14 and also functions as a closing member that closes the first spray passage R1. That is, after opening the check valve 25, if the second operating unit 14 is pushed down further, the lower end of the valve stem 27 connects with the aerosol stem 4a, as shown in Figure 3B, and blocks the first spray passage R1. When the second operating unit 14 is pushed down to this state, the nozzle member 13 rotates or moves downward, but because the mounting portion 23a of the nozzle member 13 is attached to the aerosol stem 4a, the aerosol stem 4a is pushed down or tilted and the contents are discharged. However, since the first spray passage R1 is closed, nothing is sprayed from the first spray hole 13b. The valve stem 27 is pipe-shaped and its interior constitutes part of the second spray passage R2. Therefore, the contents discharged from the aerosol stem 4a are ejected through the second injection passage R2 and then ejected from the second injection hole 14a (Figure 3B: Head injection).

[0036] The method of spraying from the first spray hole 13b is the same as that of the spray member 10 in Figure 2. That is, when the first operating part 13a is pressed down, the nozzle member 13 rotates or moves downward, and the aerosol stem 4a is pressed down or tilted to discharge the contents. However, at this time, the second spray passage R2 is closed by the check valve 25, so the contents are sprayed only from the first spray hole 13b (Figure 3A: Nozzle spraying).

[0037] Each of the above-mentioned injection members 10 and 10A can be used by operating the first operating unit 13a to inject from the first injection hole 13b, and by operating the second operating unit 14 to inject from the second injection hole 14a, thereby suppressing accidental injection from the unintended side (mis-injection). Furthermore, since there is no need to perform a switching operation to close the first injection passage R1 or the second injection passage R2, mis-injection due to forgetting or making a mistake in the switching operation can be suppressed.

[0038] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the present invention. For example, the spray container 2 is not limited to an aerosol container, but may be a pump container. In this case, the pressure necessary for spraying can be secured by pressing down the pump mechanism by pressing down the first operating part 13a or the second operating part 14, so the contents will consist only of the undiluted liquid C, and the propellant P can be omitted. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0039] 1 Injector 2 Injection container 3. Container body 4 Aerosol valve 4a Aerosol Stem 4b Valve housing 4c elastic body 4D Stem Rubber C stock solution P propellant 10, 10A injection member 11 Cover member 12 hinges 13 Nozzle component 13a 1st operation section 13b 1st injection hole 14. Second operating section (head component) 14a 2nd injection hole 15 Valve Assembly 16 Valve member 17. Operation System 18 Upper stem 18a Cylinder part 18b External fitting part 18c Skirt section 19 Lower stem 19a Shaft 19b Overhang 20 grooves 21 Piston (closing member) 21a Inner cylindrical part 21b Outer cylindrical part 21c Connecting part 22. Biasing means 23 Housing 23a Mounting part 23b Communication hole 23c Stepped section 24 Lid member 25 Check valve 26 Fixing member 27 Valve stem 28 Elastic body R1 1st injection passage R2 2nd injection passage K maintenance mechanism S Vertical gap between the operating stem and the piston

Claims

1. A mounting part that is attached to a spray container filled with contents, A first nozzle for spraying the contents, A second nozzle, different from the first nozzle, for spraying the contents, The first injection passage from the mounting portion to the first injection hole, The second injection passage from the mounting section to the second injection port, A first operating unit that is operated to eject the contents from the first injection port, It comprises a second operating unit which is operated to eject the contents from the second injection port, When the first operating unit is performing an injection operation, the first injection passage is in an open state and the second injection passage is in a closed state. An injection member in which, when the second operating section is operated for injection, the first injection passage becomes closed and the second injection passage becomes open.

2. The injection member according to claim 1, further comprising a maintenance mechanism that maintains the closed state of the second injection passage when the second operating section is not being used for injection.

3. The injection member according to claim 1, further comprising a closing member that closes the first injection passage in conjunction with the injection operation of the second operating unit.

4. An injection device comprising an injection member as described in claim 1, mounted on an injection container.

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